Microchip Helps Shelter Find Owners

A pet shop in Portland, Ore., was the scene of a long-awaited reunion between little Talus Miller and her now 13-year-old cat, Timmy. The indoor-outdoor
cat had disappeared three years ago, and after a long search, the Miller family had given up hope of finding him. But as it turned out, the orange
cat had been taken in by a man in Portland, who then brought him to Missoula, Mont., when he moved. He kept the cat for three years before deciding he could no longer care for him, and took him to the
Humane Society of Western Montana. There, the staff found a microchip and contacted the Millers, who were shocked, but delighted. A stranger who was making the 500-mile drive to Portland for a wedding gave the kitty a ride home on Saturday, where he had a happy reunion with Talus and her mom, Jenny. “I love him!” said Talus, as she snuggled with the fluffy cat. “His eyes just widened when he first saw me.” — Watch it at Oregon’s
KATU

Proposal Would Protect Beaches for Sea Turtles

A plan by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates 739 miles of beach from North Carolina to Mississippi as critical habitat for loggerhead sea turtles. The threatened turtles make annual visits to lay eggs on the coastlines. The move would require federal agencies to consult with the FWS before issuing federal permits for coastal construction or changes to the beaches, adding another layer of review. "It's a really clear message that these beaches are important for the survival of the species and we have to take good care of them," said Jaclyn Lopez, a Florida attorney for the
Center for Biological Diversity. — Read it at the
Huffington Post

New Yorkers Defy Laws to Keep Pet Pigs

While you might associate pigs with farms, there are apparently some swine-loving pet owners in New York City who are flouting the city’s health code, which forbids keeping the animals. Although it’s unclear how many pig owners there are in the city, the Associated Press highlights one case in Queens, where Danielle Forgione says she’s being forced to sell her apartment because she refuses to give up Petey, a 1-year-old pig who she says is therapeutic. She’s been told by both her building’s co-op board and the city that she has to get rid of the pig. "This is our pet. He's not harming anybody. He goes to the vet every six months. He gets his hooves clipped. He gets de-wormed, he gets his shots," Forgione says. But city officials say pigs are a public health risk because they can’t be vaccinated for rabies and they can become aggressive. — Read it at
AP via the Miami Herald

Two beavers were rescued from their damn in Salt Lake City after it was soaked with diesel fuel.

Beavers Save Salt Lake City

Leave it to the beavers. Two of the animals are being credited with saving the city’s water supply after their dam stopped an 8,000-gallon diesel fuel spill from spreading into the reservoir in Willard Bay State Park in Utah. The two beavers who lived in the dam are being treated by the
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, where wildlife rehabilitators are using dishwashing liquid to clean the fuel from their fur. Officials are hoping the animals will recover but say that one of the beavers is doing better than the other. — Read it at
PawNation

Bo Obama's First Date?

President Obama has expressed dread at the idea of his children’s dating years, but he probably wasn’t thinking his 4-year-old — Bo the
Portuguese Water Dog — would be among the first to be asked out on a date. In a YouTube video, Ramona, a
Goldendoodle who lives at the
Oregon Humane Society, dreams of becoming Mrs. Ramona Obama, and invites the first
dog to be the grand marshal at the group’s Doggie Dash fundraiser in May. Good luck, Ramona! — Read it at
People Pets